Strana 67
R6709, P/O Colin F. Gray, RNZAF, No. 54 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, United Kingdom, March 1940
N3250, P/O Allan R. Wright, No. 92 Squadron, RAF Croydon,
United Kingdom, late May/early June 1940
Flown by P/O Colin Falkland Gray, R6709, coded
KL
-
T, wore the standard RAF Temperate Land
Scheme of Dark Green and Dark Earth on the
upper surfaces, and White/Night lower surfaces.
Type A fuselage roundels, Type B upper wing
roundels and Mixed Grey code letters were
carried. No roundels on the bottom surfaces.
Note the Rotol constant speed propeller.
This aircraft was equipped with an older TR.9B
radio, with the wire antenna stretching between
the antenna mast and fin tip. The antenna mast
isolator was a little bit longer than the one
used with the newer TR.9D radio. There was
no rear mirror or head armor yet installed.
Colin Gray got his first kill, a Bf 109E, on May
25, 1940, while escorting a Swordfish formation
to bomb Gravelines. By early September he
had claimed 14½ kills. He finished the war as
Wing Commander with 27 kills, two shared,
six probable and four shared probable kills.
This score makes him the top scoring New
Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War.
No. 92 Squadron received their first Spitfires
in March 1940, replacing their Bristol Blenheim
Mk.IFs. The squadron became operational on May
9, 1940. Interestingly, the unit’s Spitfires retained
the pre-war GR codes until the end of July, when
the switch was made to QJ. The code letters,
as well as the fuselage Type A.1 roundels,
look to be non-standard. The bottom wing
surfaces were standard black/white, with the
remainder of the bottom surfaces in aluminum.
Type A roundels were added to the bottom
surfaces during the Battle of France, being
bordered in yellow on the left black painted
wing. Note black aircraft code letter S painted
on the bottom of the nose. Wire antenna was
a component of the TR.9D radio that equipped
this aircraft. It is believed that N3250 was
flown by P/O Alan R. Wright, who flew his first
combat mission on May 23, 1940. He claimed two
Bf 110s damaged and another probably destroyed
during this sortie over Dunkirk. The next day,
Wright added a Bf 110 destroyed and one more
probable. During WWII, he was credited with
11 confirmed kills.
KITS 11/2025
INFO Eduard
67
November 2025